Pulau Penang Island

Penang Island sits off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and the cruise terminal at Swettenham Pier in Georgetown puts you within walking distance of one of Southeast Asia's best food cities. The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Chinese shophouses, Indian temples, Malay mosques, and colonial buildings packed into a few walkable square blocks. Street art murals by Ernest Zacharevic have become landmarks in their own right, and trishaws decorated with plastic flowers and fairy lights will take you between them. The food is the main event. Char koay teow (smoky flat noodles with prawns and cockles), Penang laksa (sour fish-based noodle soup), and nasi kandar (rice with multiple curries) are local specialities, and most dishes cost a few ringgit at hawker centres. Kek Lok Si, a large Buddhist temple complex on a hillside, is reachable by a short taxi ride. Penang Hill, reached by a funicular railway, offers views across the island and the strait on clear days.